What´s new

Important new website: www.eaah.org

2009-11-27T11:18:00.000-08:00

The European chapter (E-IAAH) of the International Association for Adolescent Health (IAAH) now has, not only a new vice-president Russell Viner UK, but also a new website: www.eaah.org
You will find what is going on in Europe and you will find a map with links to national associations.

The co-ordination group for NAMN

2009-11-12T11:32:00.000-08:00

The co-ordination group for the Nordic Adolescent Medicine Network met this autumn in Denmark (Fairyhill, Helsingor) to discuss the report "Are health services in the Nordic countries youth-friendly enough?"
From the left: Katrin Davidsdottir (Icel), Kirsten Boisen (Denm), Ragnar Bjarnason(Ice), Tina Messell (Denm), Raisa Lounamaa (Finl), Tommy Melin and Margrethe Krabbe (Swed). Norway is missing at this time.

New President for IAAH

2009-11-09T02:59:00.000-08:00

The new President for the International Association for Adolescent Health (IAAH), Linda Bearinger from the USA, was chosen at the international congress in Kuala Lumpur last month. See more below.
www.iaah.org

New European Vice President: Russel Viner

2009-11-09T02:30:00.000-08:00

The European branch (EAAH) of the International Association for Adolescent Health (IAAH)has got a new president for the following four years. Russell Viner (UK)has taken over from Helena Fonseca(Portugal).
Russell Viner is Reader in Adolescent Health, UCL Institute of Child Health,London.In his first message he says:
"I am excited about the future for Iaah. There was a potent sense of revival at the Malaysia meeting. A new President was elected - Linda Bearinger from the USA together with a new committee dedicated to making iaah a more effeftive and avtive association"

Report to the Nordic Paediatric Federation

2009-06-14T13:09:00.000-07:00

To the Nordic Paediatric Federation

NAMN - a Nordic Adolescent Medicine Network

Representatives for adolescent medicine from the five Nordic countries met in Copenhagen in March 2006, invited by the Nordic Paediatric Federation, to form a Nordic network. The group responsible for the network, consisting of two members from each country, has been sponsored by the Nordic Paediatric Federation.

The purpose of this network is to give and receive support and inspiration in order to develop adolescent medicine in the Nordic countries.
We were given the task of
1. building a network
2. describing the adolescent medicine status in the Nordic countries
3. recommending what is most important for the development of adolescent medicine including competences and the role of primary care services
.
This is a report of what has happened during these past three years:

Today NAMN is a co-operation between the adolescent medicine groups / representatives belonging to the national paediatric associations in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The network is also connected to the International Association for Adolescent Health (IAAH). The common language is English.

The NAMN-group has met twice at Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, 2007 and 2008. The next meeting will be in August 2009, also in Denmark, which has been the most comfortable and cheapest way of travelling for the members. On the other hand it is important too visit all the countries, especially if the meeting is combined with local activities using the experiences of the group and its members.

Members of the NAMN-group
The members are all paediatricians with connections to the national paediatric societies, the Nordic Paediatric Federation, the International Association for Adolescent Health, European paediatric organizations, university and regional hospitals as well as ordinary out-patient care for young people, school health medicine and youth health clinics:

Denmark
Tina Messell
Familieambulatoriet, Hvidovre Hospital
messell@dadlnet.dk

Kirsten Boisen
Center of Adolescent Medicine, Rigshospitalet, Univ Hospital of Copenhagen
boisen@rh.dk

Finland
Raisa Lounamaa
Department of Paediatrics, Jyväskylä Central Hospital
raisa.lounamaa@ksshp.fi

Katri Makkonen
School Health Services, Helsinki
katri.makkonen@vantaa.fi

Iceland
Katrin Davídsdottír
Centre for child health services, Reykjavik
katrin.davidsdottir@mhb.hg.is

Ragnar Bjarnason
Department of Paediatrics, Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavik
ragnarb@landspitali.is

Norway
Turid Lingaas Holmen
Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Verdal
turid.lingaas.holmen@ntnu.no

Lars Krogvold
Ulleval University Hospital , Oslo
lars.krogvold@uus.no

Sweden
Margrethe Krabbe
Kungshojd Paediatric Out-patient Clinic, Göteborg
margrethe.krabbe@vgregion.se

Tommy Melin
Pediatrician, Borgholm
t.melin@telia.com

The meetings in Copenhagen have been important to get to know each other, and to learn more about prerequisites and the state of adolescent medicine today in the Nordic countries. The latest meeting focused on a discussion comparing our Nordic countries from the perspective of Youth Friendly Health Services based on the English concept of You´re Welcome Quality Criterias from Department of Health, UK. A summary, and conclusions, will be published later as a separate report.

Website
www.nordicadolescentmedicine.blogspot.com
The main purpose of the website is to present scientific articles, projects, reports and ideas from each country as well as conferences, meetings and courses.

Information
We plan to collect all information on the website with access both to the members of the network and others with interest in adolescent medicine.

Training
Three members of the NAMN-group have been invited to the Swedish annual one-week adolescent medicine course for doctors specializing in paediatrics, general practice, gynaecology and child psychiatry.
Colleagues from Nordic countries have been inspired to follow the EuTEACH Summer School on adolescent medicine and health at the Lausanne University, Switzerland. Representation from northern Europe has been quite rare before.
EuTEACH = European Training for an Effective Adolescent Care and Health.

Conferences
Colleagues from other Nordic countries have been invited to seminars like `Ethics during Adolescence` in Gothenburg, `Danish Adolescent Medicine` in Odense and the conference `Adolescent Health` arranged by the Swedish Section of Adolescent Medicine at the Nordic School of Public Health.

Visits
In connection to conferences, or planning projects, visits to learn and get ideas have taken place, for example Youth Health Clinics in Gothenburg.

Ideas
Good examples will probably be important when exchanging ideas between our countries. One good example of current interest is the recently started Ungdomsmedicinsk Videncenter at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen.

International contacts
The NAMN-group responsible for contacts within the Nordic countries, as well as contributing to adolescent medicine in their own country, consists of members with many international links. They are represented in the U.E.M.S. Section of Paediatrics, the European Academy of Paediatrics and the European Board of the International Association for Adolescent Health

Conclusion
The Nordic countries in most aspects have the same basic values considering young people, that in many, and interesting aspects, differ from other parts of Europe.
On the other hand the care of young people either in medical practice or in health promotion differs between our countries due to laws, rules, traditions, social and medical cultures and different organizational solutions.
We believe we have much to learn from each other and that each of us has experiences and knowledge that might be applied in our neighbouring countries. Our countries have very much in common, but there are differences enough to stimulate a further development of adolescent medicine.

Next
We have carried out the first task organizing a Nordic adolescent medicine network.
The next step will be to describe one aspect of the adolescent medicine status in the Nordic countries by the report “Are health services in the Nordic countries youth-friendly enough”. This report will be finished later this year.

NAMN, May 3, 2009
Tommy Melin
t.melin@telia.com

Center of Adolescent Medicine, Copenhagen

2009-06-14T13:06:00.000-07:00

The new Ungdomsmedicinsk Videncenter at Rigshospitalet in Denmark has changed its name to Center of Adolescent Medicine, Rigshospitalet, University Hospital of Copenhagen

Nasjonal Ungdomsmedicinsk Konferanse i Norge

2009-02-25T02:13:00.000-08:00

Norway arranged in November 2008 their first national conference on adolescent medicine. Read about the aim, the program and other interesting facts at www.ungdomsmedisin.no (n.b. norwegian spelling)

www.ungdomsmedicin.dk

2009-01-11T09:25:00.000-08:00

Ungdomsmedicinsk Videncenter - the new center at Rigshospitalet for the development of adolescent medicine in hospital care and Danish primary care has started. Very interesting and important for adolescent medicine in all the Nordic countries. Good luck!
You may read everything about it on their website www.ungdomsmedicin.dk

"Adolescent Health Project" in UK

2008-12-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

In England RCPCH(Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health)has launched a national wide training programme in adolescent health and medicine for health professionals.
"The RCPCH, with the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), other Royal Colleges and e-Learning for Healthcare have produced interdisciplinary training materials so that all doctors and nurses have the necessary skills to help their young patients make the necessary changes to lead healthier and more active lives".
Sessions to introduce the web-based learning has been held all over the country, and the materials can be found via a website without charge for persons registered.
Look at www.rcpch.ac.uk/AHP

A national website for youth and sex: www.UMO.se

2008-11-18T06:35:00.000-08:00

The Swedish National Board of Health and Social Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) has today presented a website for youth, 13-25 years old, made together with the Swedish Youth Health Centers and young people. You can read the summary from the newspaper Dagens Nyheter down here. The website is, of course, also in Swedish:

Ungdomsmottagning på nätet ska lära unga om sex. Ungdomar som inte vill söka sig till ungdomsmottagningen ska kunna hitta viktig information på nätet. På tisdagen invigdes därför Socialstyrelsens nationella satsning UMO.se.

Ungdomsmottagningarna runt om i Sverige har hundratusentals besök per år men fortfarande är det många unga som av olika anledningar inte söker sig dit. På initiativ från Socialstyrelsen har Sjukvårdsrådgivningen därför utvecklat sajten UMO.se - en nationell ungdomsmottagning på nätet.

Här ska unga mellan 13 och 25 år kunna hitta information om sex och samlevnad, kroppen och sexuell läggning. Det finns även information om alkohol och tobak, könsstympning, mobbning, ätstörningar och om att leva med hedersnormer. Ungdomarna kan även ställa frågor anonymt som besvaras av personal från ungdomsmottagningarna.

- Det ska vara enkelt för unga att hitta svar på sina frågor om hälsa, sex och relationer. En webbaserad ungdomsmottagning ger jämlik och likvärdig information till alla, oavsett var i landet de bor. Den når också grupper som av olika anledningar inte söker sig till ungdomsmottagningarna idag, och det är jätteviktigt, säger Nyamko Sabuni, integrations- och jämställdhetsminister.

Materialet på sajten har granskats av såväl Sjukvårdsrådgivningen som personal från ungdomsmottagningar runt om i landet. All bildmaterial med nakenhet har testats på en ungdomsgrupp innan det publicerats.

Sajten har också en hel del innovativa detaljer. Exempelvis kan man i artiklarna välja det ord man föredrar på de kvinnliga och manliga könsorganen. Vill man att det ska stå snorren i stället för penisen, eller murran i stället för slidan i artiklarna så är önskan uppfylld med ett knapptryck.

Man kan också välja att inte visa känsliga bilder och det finns information om hur man kan dölja i sin webbläsare att man besökt sidan. Det finns även en panik-knapp man kan klicka på om man har bråttom att lämna nätsidan. Då förflyttas man ögonblickligen till söksajten Google.

Sleep problems

2008-10-28T08:24:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in sleep problems and health, and possible effects later in life, you may read Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine from April this year:
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med.2008;162(4)

New litterature

2008-06-11T07:24:00.000-07:00

Chronic illness in children and adolescents. Advances in psychotherapy. Evidence-based practice Brown Ronald et al.
Hogrefe & Huber Publishers, 2007. ISBN 0-88937-319-1. 25 Euro.
The book is rewied in Acta Paediatrica 2008, 97, p.832, where Kristina Berg Kelly says:
"In general, the evidence is in favour of the noncategorical approach to management and of combining several interventions directed towards the family unit and the effected young peson himself/herself"
"The book is useful for anyone new in the field that needs a starting point for further studies, but also for those who are ready to re-evaluate existing methods and are looking for fresh ideas"

Promoting adolescent health in Europe

2008-03-24T23:22:00.000-07:00

About promoting adolescent health in Europe, and what more has to be done, you may read in the following articles in Acta Paediatrica:
Berg Kelly K. Promoting adolescent health. Acta Paediatr 2007;96:1389-91
Letter to the editor:
Promoting adolescent health:the need for a European perspective (Italian Society for Adolescent Medicine, Adolescent Health Society Turkey,Mediterranean and Middle East Action Group on Adolescent Medicine)
Promoting adolescent health in Europe - response (Kristina Berg Kelly)

NAMN´s meeting in Copenhagen

2008-02-17T10:34:00.000-08:00

The delegates responsible for the Nordic Adolescent Medicin Network had a weekend-meeting in February at Rigshospitalet.

The group is trying to summarize the up-to-date situation in the nordic countries. One question is Youth Friendly Health Services: how are we doing?

Litt: "Youth-friendly primary-care services: how are we doing and what more need to be done", The Lancet 2007;369:1565-1573

About the new unit at Rigshospitalet (below).

850´000 Euros to Danish Adolescent Medicine

2008-02-17T08:13:00.000-08:00

The Children and Youth Program (BorneUngeProgrammet) has got their money to establish an Adolescent Medicine Unit (Ungdomsmedicinsk Videncenter) at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen during three years. It will also be a center for research and developement creating a model for other institutions in Denmark.

"Formålet er over en 3-årig periode at etablere et Ungdomsmedicinsk Videnscenter på Rigshospitalet, som skal udvikle og integrere ungdomsmedicinske arbejdsmetoder og fungere som model for andre sundhedsfremmende og sygdomsbehandlende institutioner. Centret skal gennem egne undersøgelser og systematisering af foreliggende data indsamle og formidle viden om unges sygdomme og behandling som baggrund for koordinerede nationale tiltag.

Nærværende ansøgning er dels resultatet af data indsamlet på Rigshospitalet og på landsplan gennem de sidste 2 år, og dels international erfaring indhentet af projektgruppens medlemmer i efteråret 2007, støttet initialt af Egmontfonden. Projektgruppen er blevet bekræftet i, at syge unge har særlige vilkår og behov, og internationalt er der tiltagende bevidsthed om gevinsterne ved at etablere ungdomsmedicinske enheder og arbejde fokuseret med unges særlige problemstillinger.

I Danmark findes der flere gode initiativer for unge lokalt på både børne- og voksenafdelinger, dog sporadisk, og uden koordinering. Både Rigshospitalet og alle landets børneafdelinger giver udtryk for, at der er stor bevågenhed for ungegruppens særlige behov, men at der med de eksisterende ressourcer ikke er overskud til at koordinere og føre visionerne ud i livet. Projektgruppen vil derfor argumentere for, at en 3-årig fokuseret, intensiv indsats vil løfte kvaliteten i den forebyggende, behandlende og rehabiliterende indsats i forhold til syge unge markant.
Videnscentret udvikles i et samarbejdende nationalt og internationalt netværk.

Både direktionen, centerledelser og klinikchefen for de store børneklinikker står bag projektet, som har kommittet sig til den egenbetaling, som er præsenteret i budgettet.

Med venlig hilsen

Charlotte Blix,
leder af Rigshospitalets BørneUngeProgram

Projektgruppen består af: Kirsten A. Boisen, læge, ph.d, Grethe Teilmann, læge. ph.dDorthe Meinike, praktiserende psykolog, Charlotte Blix, leder af Rigshospitalets BørneUngeProgram "

boisen@dadlnet.dk